This week marks the one year anniversary of the last gig I saw in person, and I wanted to share this unpublished review of Dublin post-punk rockers The Murder Capital playing their US debut show at Once Ballroom on March 11th, 2020. Looking back on this night I am reminded of the electric energy in the crowd in Somerville. Despite the creeping sense of dread about the pandemic, what I remember the most is the pure excitement from having taken a chance on a new band that none of us had seen before and having our expectations blown away. There is a sense of connectedness in collectively discovering music, not just in isolation, but among a group of people – a coven of active music listeners gathering together and experiencing fresh sounds.
I remember being torn up about this gig and feeling guilty as I left my apartment and walked down Highland Avenue towards Once Ballroom. The opening band, as per usual, chided the audience for standing too far away from the stage, and I felt twice guilty for joining the cluster down front. The bathroom was plastered with Dolly Parton themed flyers – fast-forward one year and Parton changed the lyrics of “Jolene” to “Vaccine,” to sing on camera in a PSA to promote national inoculation while getting her shot. By the time The Murder Capital wrapped and I had left the venue, I learned the NBA had just been cancelled, and this was the tipping point. As we now know, not long after, Once Ballroom shut its doors for good.
The loss of Once Ballroom is catastrophic for the local community. The first line of their mission statement was “…to foster and support local artists and their art, to bring great events to the area, and to be a gathering space for [the] community…” It was evident in the way they loyally booked local acts to open for international/national acts, thereby giving them excellent exposure, held regular art fairs (where I purchased a rad vintage coat), and made a practice of seeking out diverse talent. Also, important, their sound system ROCKED, as opposed to the muddy audio and drowned out vocals that I hear at DIY shows and the like that try to make-up for lost performance spaces such as this one.
In reflection of one year in lock-down without gigs, let us celebrate this storied club in Somerville. As for The Murder Capital, they announced a few days ago that they don’t plan on continuing the US/Canada tour until 2022, but I hope they return. In the meantime, check out this unpublished show review that was slated to be posted to Allston Pudding exactly one year ago today.